3 candidates to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid

Carlo Ancelotti returned to Real Madrid ahead of the 2021/22 season, after a spell at Everton. It was a bit of a surprise appointment to say the least. But the Italian manager’s first season back in charge was a smashing success that brought home a La Liga and Champions League double for Los Blancos.

However, things this season have been far from smooth. The La Liga title race is practically all but over with Real Madrid sitting 12 points behind league leaders Barcelona. Winning the Copa del Rey is also a tall task, with the Catalan giants holding a one goal lead in the semi-final tie from the first leg at Santiago Bernabeu, leaving the Champions League as Ancelotti’s best route to deliver a trophy.

Ancelotti is very much on the hot seat if he cannot deliver a trophy this season. And it looks like there might be three candidates to potentially replace him.

As reported by Fichajes, Anton Meana explained on Cadena SER:

"“There is a desire that is Zidane, a market option like Xabi Alonso and then the one who is in the right place and at the right time is Mauricio Pochettino. There are three names that would have more options than Raul.”"

3 candidates to replace Ancelotti at Real Madrid

Any Real Madrid fan knows what Zinedine Zidane brings to the table as a manager, and that’s winning. In his over four years in charge of the club, he guided them to two La Liga titles as well as the historic Champions League three-peat.

Mauricio Pochettino is yet another big name manager who has had his name linked with Real Madrid in the past. Most recently in charge of Paris Saint-Germain, his tenure at the club was hit or miss. While he did guide them to victories in the French Cup as well as Ligue 1, he failed to take the club to the Champions League, never really getting the best out of the trio of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

Xabi Alonso could be a wild card choice as the next manager of Real Madrid, but he could be a good choice. Having only taken over at Bayer Leverkusen earlier this season, the Spaniard has been making his mark in the Bundesliga. Having most recently defeated Bayern Munich 2-1, he put on a tactical masterclass against the defending champions.